I'm so so sorry I've been the Absolute Worst at keeping up with my infinite number of WIPs... And right now, I don't think I can write satisfactorily in a way to end them either... I'm so sorry.
This is my first ATLA fanfiction; I hope you like it and that it's not ooc?
Summer evenings always taste a little nostalgic, look a little fantastic, feel a little like magic.
"Katara, Katara look!" Katara turned to see a smiling blue mask turned to her.
"Pfft, Aang, that's the exact same one you wore the last time we came here," Katara said, laughing. She leaned back towards the vendor with its stacks of melodramatic masks. "Hmm, I wonder which one I should put on…"
Toph blindly grabbed the closest one. She grinned at the bumpy ridges and snugly fit it onto her face. "I think this one is of a… dragon?"
Katara paused and adjusted the mask on her face. "Close; komodo rhino." Toph slapped her hands away and proudly harrumphed. Katara rolled her eyes.
"Yeah yeah, oh you children, so excited about masks." Sokka folded his arms and pointed his nose up haughtily until Toph struck a pillar of earth up right where it belonged.
"Oh, this one's cute." Katara smiled and reached forward into the stack, ignoring Toph and Sokka as they bickered furiously in the background.
"Ooooh," Aang exclaimed as she pulled on a mask of an otter penguin. "That is really cute. E…" He fidgeted his fingers. "E-especially on you, Katara." Aang looked up bashfully, a goofy grin on his face.
Katara smiled, even though the mask hid it. "Aww, thanks Aang. Your mask looks great on you too."
"Oof, yeah, yeah, let's just get on with it." Sokka muttered as Toph gleefully jumped around him. He brushed off his clothes that had clearly been roughed up. "We can actually enjoy the fire festival this time too; let's not waste it," he said with sniff towards Toph, which set off another firestorm of arguments.
"Yeah…" Aang said, a bit crestfallen before cheering up quickly at the sight of vendor after vendor lined up before them. "Yeah, let's go!" The three leapt into the crowd.
For the first time in months, Katara felt her heart lift. It had been hard, day after day, roiled in the political chaos from the ending of the Fire Nation's empire. She was suddenly needed everywhere as an ambassador for the Water Tribe, a voice for the Southern Water Tribe, a member of the Earth Kingdom's council, a leader in humanitarian attempts to finally help areas ravaged for decades by the Fire Nation, a high official of trade negotiation between the four lands, and of course as acting regent for the Avatar himself. Her head was spinning with just the names of all the "important officials", much less with any thorough analyses from heaps and heaps of problems that had to be solved, people to be trusted or not to be trusted...
Stop thinking, Katara. Like Sokka said… Now's the time to enjoy. And no one can stop me from one night. She traced the mask, already familiar with the outline. I have a mask on; who'll know?
"Now then- Wait, where…" Where did they all go…? Katara blinked. There was no sign of a blue arrow or a green hat or a Water Tribe topknot anywhere, only bustling crowds of people eating, talking, and generally having a good time. Katara shrugged. "Well, I'll find them some time soon. And besides, I hardly ever get time alone anyway."
The long array of stands glowed invitingly as Katara walked along the aisle. Paper lanterns lazily bobbed up and down, the shadows and dim lights swaying back and forth, back and forth. Katara felt her stomach growl as spicy sweet smells hung tantalizingly in the air, so thick she could almost taste the dripping sauce. Around her knees, small children scampered around the legs of the adults, giggling with cheeks full of candied nuts, and then clutching the hems of their parents' cloaks for more. People were laughing and bantering, chatting and joking about nothing. Reed flutes and grand zithers and pear-shaped lutes swirled the festivities into a whole with an upbeat harmony spiraling upwards like the sparks of a bonfire. Beneath it all, the evening was abuzz with cicadas and crickets, the telltale singers of midsummer. Katara sighed. "Is this what peace is like?" she mused aloud.
"Rather somber for a fire festival aren't you?"
Katara turned around in surprise. A tall figure wearing a dull green tunic stood before her with a duckturtle mask.
"Well, maybe that's what it looks for some stranger who wears a duckturtle mask," she replied mischievously.
"Hmm." The person mockingly stroked his chin. "I have yet to hear the deep philosophies of an otterpenguin. Could you perhaps enlighten me, young miss?" He held out a hand. "I'm open to philosophical debates with red bean paste buns."
Suddenly, Katara wasn't sure. She drew back and laughed nervously. "Haha, poetic but… who are you? There are plenty of other nice people here; didn't you come with other people you know?" What if this person is someone out to get me? Because of something that I did these past months that they didn't like or maybe a supporter of Fire Lord Ozai or a hater of the Avatar or-
The figure tapped his own mask. "There wouldn't be much of a point for masks then, would there? We're all free from who we are just for tonight, to be who we want to be, or at least who we could have been, if it weren't for... " He paused thoughtfully. "Well, let's just say… extenuating circumstances."
"Offer still stands though."
Katara stared at the open palm. All around her, the festival danced around her in a dizzying array of sights and smells and sounds. Well… he's right. It's just this one night; nothing tonight is permanent anyway! You deserve to enjoy yourself for once, Katara.
"Fine, you've convinced mysterious duckturtle." She reached forward and took his rather clammy, but warm, hand. "You've won this round but don't think that you'll win the next argument; I won't go down that easily."
He chuckled. "Oh certainly, who would even dream of such a thing. Shouldn't I simply be grateful and humbled by your mere presence?" he said with a snicker, and Katara glimpsed for the first time, sparkling topaz-like eyes. Her hand involuntarily squeezed his, and she felt her heart flutter ridiculously when he squeezed her hand back.
"Hmph, your gallantry won't win anything." Katara haughtily laughed, her chest filled with a dizzying amount of lightness. "You best prove yourself in a vendor game like…" She scanned the rows of stands before pointing to one to their left. "Like that one!"
The stranger peered over. "Wait… goldfish scooping?"
"Yup. Unless you're scared you're going to lose then maybe not."
He snorted. "Pssh yeah right, you just scoop a bunch of fish with a paper net, as if."
Katara grinned deviously. "Alright, alright, if you say so. But I'll have you know." He turned to her curiously as she lowered her voice coyly. "I'm an absolute, literal pro at this."
"Then it'll be a true honor to take you down," he shot back, and the two ran towards the stand.
"Two fish scoops please!" Katara called as the two squatted besides a shallow wooden pool. The vendor shuffled to the back.
Katara stared in amazement at the sheer number of goldfish swimming in the box. The shimmering orange gleamed off all of their scales, and the fish practically writhed in the pool like some conglomerate monster. Well, I won't lose, not as a Water Tribe chief's daughter! To hell if I do!
The vendor returned with two small, fragile nets and a bag. He handed one net to each. "Here ya two love birds go, have fun."
They stared at him blankly until he nodded at their tightly clasped hand. They yanked away from each other. Katara felt a pang of disappointment echo through her before mentally shaking her head violently. Jeez, what are you thinking? Acting like this is all serious and- she thought to herself angrily as the stranger sputtered for a response. "I- we're- this is just- we're not- just today- we-"
Katara cleared her voice before managing to say loudly, "Yes we're together thank you." The stranger dropped his net right into the pool, ruining the paper net, before snapping up to stare at her. She coolly met the shocked eyes of the stranger burning into hers. "Well, tonight we can all just be whoever we want to be or could have been if not for your oh-so 'extenuating circumstances'... right?"
The stranger could only give a nod.
The vendor came back with another net. He wagged a finger."Ya better not screw up, lad."
The duckturtle boy's voice came back as he replied with a snort, "Please, I know what I'm doing." Katara couldn't help but laugh at the over exaggerated flourish the stranger made before plunging his net in and quickly missing all of the goldfishes.
"What?! Stupid… no this… grrr…" he muttered furiously as fish after fish slipped away. Finally, the paper tore.
"Concede?" Katara said smugly.
"Hmph, fine." Katara raised an eyebrow as the stranger almost seemed to sulk. She smirked.
"Watch this." She raised her net and swiftly scooped fish after fish after fish, deftly dumping each into the bag.
Soon the bag was filled to the brim with goldfish.
"Ugh, you win then." The stranger waved a hand. "It was my absolute loss." But his voice was warm with amusement and something a bit like admiration.
"You bet you did. I told you I don't lose easily," Katara said with a laugh.
"Of course you don't… Of course you don't." Katara blinked and looked up, catching the stranger's eyes filled with a quietly intense look boring into her own eyes before he quickly turned away. Katara suddenly realized how close they were, how she could feel the heat emanating from his arm running along her own like a soft feather stroke from the afternoon sun.
Katara leapt to her feet. "U-uh, so! What should we do now? I-I mean, it's clear that I, well, I won so, but I don't really need, well, all of these fish here hahaha…" she said with a high pitched giggle. She felt her face burning up and thanked every god for her mask. Too bad the mask couldn't stop your stupid babbling Katara, she thought with an inward groan.
"Well, there's a pond a bit outside of the vendors here." The goldfish vendor pointed out behind the stands. "It looks a bit dark but just go down the hill here and you'll find it."
"Th-then let's go! Thanks!" Katara grabbed the stranger's arm and yanked him up. She quickly dropped it awkwardly. "Uh, I mean, well, uh-"
The stranger gave a rather quizzical head turn before laughing merrily. Katara couldn't resist smiling, and dropped her nervousness. What a happy, sincere laugh…
"Well, since you seem so eager to let go of all your fish, why not?" he said with a final chuckle. "Maybe we'll even find a brooding otterpenguin?" And when he held out a hand this time, Katara didn't hesitate to grab it.
"Oh please," she teased. "Who was brooding when he lost all of his fish? You're not very patient are you?"
"Probably not one of my virtues; I'm assuming being lucky is one of yours?"
"Hey!"
He gave another laugh, and Katara couldn't help laughing too. She squeezed his broad, calloused hand, this time with intent. And sure enough, the squeeze was returned firmly.
She couldn't be happier; one hand gripping a bag of goldfish and the other held in the hand of someone she had never knew, who would never know her identity, who would never force the expectations and burdens meant for a superhero on her, a fifteen year old, a girl who just wanted to be happy without string after string of duty towards the whole world attached to her to the point where she felt like a puppet in the nimble hands of fate.
I mean, it's not that I'm betraying my friends of course; of course I love Aang and Sokka and Toph and everyone! Of course I'd care for them and make sure they're safe, happy… I just… I just…
"Otterpenguin?"
Katara looked up, realizing that her feet had stopped. Duckturtle was looking back at her with all the concern a mask of a duckturtle could muster.
"Are you alright? You look- or rather, you're gripping my hand really tightly."
"Oh! I, I'm sorry." Ugh Katara. She loosened her hand and was about to take it away when he took it back, squeezing it hard.
"Um… ?"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I was just wondering, well…" Now he looked awkward as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, y'know-"
"Katara!"
Katara flinched and whirled around, her hand suddenly able to slip out of the stranger's. Aang swung down from his glider and tumbled down in front of her, grinning.
"Katara, where were you? Sokka and Toph and I were looking everywhere! But man, I'm so glad that I found you first; there're so many cool vendors that I want to show you! Oh, and we also saw these firebenders who were roasting meat so we can eat those too! And also-"
"Wait Aang," Katara interrupted. "I have to- I mean, I'm with this guy here-" She turned to face Duckturtle.
But he was already gone.
What?! He was just here, how?
"What… what guy, Katara?" Aang peered behind her. He sniffed as he said, "Or more like, which guy, there's a whole bunch."
"I, I don't know, he was right here wearing a duckturtle mask… and…" her voice trailed off.
"W-well! He must be busy or whatever you know! Maybe he was waiting for someone and now he found her and had to leave you or something!" Aang said hastily. "Besides! We should still have fun regardless Katara! Let's go!" He began to pull her away, talking incessantly about this vendor and that vendor.
Katara gave a final look around the festivities in full blast around her, now in the heat of the night, but it suddenly felt cheap, a desperado in the turmoil of reality and a bitter attempt to hide from the scars of the war. She suddenly saw the lack of men at the festival and of mothers without fathers, orphans without parents. The stands that were really just shacks. The hollow noise of talking with thin reeds whistling in a tone that was more like the wind in a ravine than a voice.
It's all just an illusion anyway.
She turned her back and walked away, following the Avatar. She threw her bag of now dead fish into the nearest trashcan, along with her otterpenguin mask.
"Oh Zuko! The business during the fire festival is truly incredib- Hmm? Why the long face?" Iroh placed his tray of tea down as his nephew slipped in through the makeshift teashop.
"Didn't I tell you to have fun?" he asked, trying to peer into Zuko's eyes.
"Well, sometimes it backfires okay!" Zuko snapped, and stormed to the back of the shop.
Iroh gave a long sigh and resumed carrying his tea to his customers.
Zuko hunkered down outside, facing the dark meadow. He pulled off the turtleduck mask, and a cool evening breeze cupped his flaming cheeks. He gingerly touched the bruising scar on his face. It's as soothing as when she held my cheek back then in the caves, he mused somberly.
"Back when I was a fool and betrayed them all." Zuko rested his chin on his knees. Tall shadows flitted from the festival behind him, like thin fingers of flames, and the festivities themselves felt muted.
"I'm an idiot… A stupid idiot who's obsessed and can't see anything." He laughed, bitterly. "I really haven't changed have I. I'm bound by duty again, but this time to friends who actually care. To the Fire Nation. To the world. And to my sins; as if someone like me could actually be happy. Even if I atone for the rest of my life, it could never be enough…"
"Never enough."
Zuko glanced at his mask. The goofy duckturtle face made him smile ruefully. "I guess now duckturtles will always be associated with all the women whom I've loved."
And lost.